Kaesang said that he and his father communicated intensively on the subject over the past week.
“I find it impossible for a son and his father to compete against each other,” he added at a press conference after registering for his re-election as PSI chair in Jakarta on Saturday.
He said that he has persuaded Jokowi to give space to younger politicians to take the spotlight.
However, Kaesang declined to give a definitive answer when asked about the possibility of his father joining the party as a cadre.
“He is accessible now, as you can simply visit him in Solo for an answer. I cannot speak on his behalf,” he told the media.
Earlier, PSI had said that it would welcome the former president as a chairperson candidate, provided he first became a party member. This followed signs of Jokowi drawing closer to the PSI ahead of last year’s elections.
Meanwhile, Jokowi earlier said he was still weighing his chances before making a decision on running for PSI chairmanship.
“I am still calculating my chances, as I cannot risk losing,” he said on May 14.
On June 16, the Golkar Party -- another group Jokowi appears to be inclined to join -- emphasized that the former head of state has every right to join any political party, including the PSI.
“It is up to Mr. Jokowi to decide which party, or what ‘house,’ he prefers,” secretary-general of Golkar’s central executive board, Muhammad Sarmujo, said in Jakarta.
However, he expressed the hope that Jokowi would communicate his decision to Golkar first.
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Translator: Agatha O, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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